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A Psychological heist thriller from director, Danny Boyle. Patty Papageorgiou-Axford reviews this month’s latest film release.

trance

When fine art auctioneer Simon Newman (James McAvoy) takes part in a high profile art heist, he receives a blow to the head that lands him in intensive care for weeks.

Suffering from partial amnesia, Simon cannot remember details of the robbery, or anything after his attack. Cue his surprise, when upon his release he discovers the stolen painting has been missing and his irate accomplices (Vincent Cassel, Danny Sapani, Matt Cross, Wahab Sheikh) are more than ready to point the finger at him. The artwork was in his possession during the theft and its whereabouts are now locked in Simon’s damaged brain.

Unable to jog his memory, the gang employs the services of hypnotherapist Elizabeth Lamb (Rosario Dawson) to help unlock his mind. And this is where the real story begins, when Elizabeth’s treatment leads Simon through the foggy maze of his own twisted psyche. Hypnotic manipulation and suggestion blur Simon’s reality as he stumbles through scattered fragments of his jagged memory. The ensuing romance that flourishes adds a soul wrenching culmination to his journey towards uncovering the truth about his past.

Director Danny Boyle is no stranger to unconventional storytelling. Deep in his element, he doesn’t fail to once again deliver his hallmark, hyper-stylised approach. Reflecting the complexity of the human psyche itself, the narrative unfolds in tantalising segments, keeping the audience constantly on its toes and proactively engaging the mind. There is not a dull moment as you try to second guess the twists and turns while the plot unravels ahead of you, just enough to keep your mind racing. Bold, often jumpy edits splice the film together in the right places to make the story perplexing but not confusing. And at the points where you think it may have lost you completely, the film picks you up and places you firmly back in the flow of things in the next scene.

Trance is a heist thriller on another level. True to its genre, you can expect a suitable level of action, sex and violence but you won’t find those elements overbearing like in most thrillers. You’ll find yourself in a classic “whodunit” scenario with unexpected deviations and mind games aimed simultaneously at the characters and the viewers. Stunning, intelligent and thought-provoking, the film is a puzzle that begs to be pieced together.

An essentially simple story, cleverly told by a master filmmaker, Trance is undoubtedly a five-star contribution the British film industry can be proud of.

Review by Patty Papageorgiou-Axford

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